Toast the End of Anger

By Maureen C. Petrosky

We all know angry people. Maybe yours is a co- worker, maybe it’s the guy at the bank, or maybe an angry mommy in the neighborhood. Maybe it’s you. Unfortunately, there will always be things to make us angry. As my husband so wisely said yesterday, “There are many paths you can take in this world, and none of them are wrong, but it’s up to us to see what makes us happy instead of focusing on what makes us angry.”

Some people are just angry, always will be, and there is nothing we can do about it, BUT that doesn’t mean you should be their doormat. This is the week to rid your life of the angry people. Drink in freedom as you toast the end of the downers to your day; swirl as you bid farewell to that mean girl or guy. If you’re perusing this piece and you think, ‘maybe it’s me, maybe I’m the angry one,’ get a glass and leave the attitude behind, there must be something that makes you happy, even if it’s the simple fact that you have two good eyes to read this. No more forced smiles, here’s to the shiny happy people.

Happy Wine-
A fabulous glass of wine is just what you need to toast your new happier, less angry life!
Miner Viognier, 2007, Simpson Vineyard, $22
I always say Viognier is Chardonnay’s sassy sister, and this little white will make you smile. This is my happy wine, vibrant, luscious, with honeysuckles and loads of floral aromas. It’s juicy in the mouth and has an elegant finish.

Summer Slender

By Brianne Harrison

At last, the weather has improved, and the warm temperatures and sunny days are drawing us all outside, to beaches, lakes, and barbeques. Unfortunately, at the time of year you usually want your body to look its best, it gets harder and harder to keep up a decent workout regimen. Vacations interfere with regular workouts, nice weather makes it tougher to go to a windowless gym, and summer’s sugary drinks and typically unhealthy party foods offer calorie-rich temptations. Luckily, there are a number of ways to stay active (and burn off that margarita!) during the summer months, even if you hate going to the gym or working out.

 

Find Fun Activities

You don’t have to hit the treadmill to get your cardio in. Get a Frisbee or volleyball game going on the beach, or play tag with your kids or friends (just five minutes of running in sand can help you burn more than 50 calories*). If you’re down the shore, rent some bikes and cruise the boardwalk, or cycle down the D&R Canal Towpath. On hot days, hit the pool to cool down—swimming laps works almost every muscle group. Love animals? Take your dog for a jog around the neighborhood, or volunteer as a dog walker at your local animal shelter—they’ll be grateful for the help! Have a summer of weddings lined up, or just looking for something new to try with your sweetie? Ballroom dancing lessons can also provide a great workout. If you need motivation to run, find a 5K that supports a charity that interests you (there are plenty of them this time of year) and start training!

Improvise

You don’t need fancy machines or expensive weights to keep your muscles toned while you’re on vacation. Any hardcover book or object with a bit of weight to it can be used for lifting exercises. Hold a heavy book on your chest when doing sit ups to increase resistance and burn more calories (the Bible found in all hotel rooms could work well for this). That same book can be used for lunges, squats, or arm exercises. Want shapely calves? Use a step or curb for toe lifts.  Pretty much any sturdy chair can be appropriated for bench dips that work the backs of your arms.

 Find Exercises that Travel Well

Pilates offers a great workout that tones your core, helps improve balance and posture, and can easily go on the road with you (if you practice mat pilates). If you’ve never tried pilates before, check out the Absecon Lighthouse Pilates Classes on the two-acre lawn at the historic lighthouse near Atlantic City. Classes are $10 each and support children's educational programs at Absecon Lighthouse. If you want to get some cardio in, throw your sneakers in the suitcase and scout out running trails near where you’ll be staying.

 

*Based on a 150 lb person

The Perfect Picnic & BBQ Salad

By Pat Tanner

I have serious issues with the usual summer side salads. I think mayonnaise-dressed salads like potato, macaroni, and coleslaw are just plain wrong – they’re heavy when you want light and worrisome when left unrefrigerated for any length of time. And don’t get me started on three-bean salad, the mushy, acrid bane of my childhood summers. (Does anyone even eat three-bean salad anymore?)

So it is with great pride that I share with you the perfect alternative: black-eyed pea salad. This sweet-and-sour version comes from the family of Sylvia Woods, the matriarch of the landmark Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem. It’s delicious, colorful, made in advance, ridiculously easy (especially if you microwave the frozen peas), and it keeps well. Beyond that, black-eyed peas are an excellent source of calcium, folate, and vitamin A. If that’s too healthful for you, Emeril Lagasse makes a version with bacon.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Adapted from “Sylvia’s Family Soul Food Cookbook,” Sylvia Woods and Family (William Morrow 1999)

Serves 4 to 5

1-1/2 cups frozen black-eyed peas, cooked according to package directions
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion

For the dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable oil (not olive oil)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste

In a large bowl combine the cooked black-eyed peas, green and red peppers, celery, and red onion.

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Pour the dressing over the beans. Toss. Let stand at room temperature for at least two hours or refrigerate overnight.

Delicious Dinner Party Fun

By Millicent K. Brody

It’s not often that one gets invited to a dinner party on the fifteenth floor of a magnificent apartment overlooking the New York skyline. But there we were, enjoying all of the beautiful treats our friend set out for the occasion. Along with a host of hors d’oeuvres and salad with bleu cheese, candied walnuts, romaine hearts, and marinated, sliced red pears drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette, we dined on filet mignon and baked salmon straight from the friendly butcher and fishmonger at Whole Foods in Edgewater.

My contribution was a casserole of my special, super simple mashed potatoes. Why mashed potatoes? Because they’re always a hit and every now and then you need a dallop of simple comfort food. Regardless of the size of the casserole dish or the number of guests, the bottom is always scraped clean by the end of the meal.

Milli’s Mashed Potatoes for 8

Ingredients:
7 large Yukon Gold potatoes
approximately 3/4 pint sour cream
3/4 C. large curd cottage cheese
3 T. unsalted butter
dash Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
dash of Italian seasoning

Procedure:
In a large pot, boil potatoes until skin cracks or they become soft. Remove.

In a large bowl, mash potatoes, adding 2 T. butter, then slowly adding cottage cheese and finishing with sour cream. Taste, if you wish.

Spoon into round or oblong casserole dish.

Smooth top with sour cream and bits of remaining butter. Once again top with cracked pepper and dash of Italian seasoning

About 20 minutes before serving, turn oven on to broil.

Place the potatoes under the broiler and watch the top become goden brown and crispy.

Weed 'em and Eat

By Judith Garfield

Unlike Mary Louise Parker, I have found no lucrative solution to my weed problem.

My weeds are invasive, hardy, and aggressive. They are impossible to tame and they grow like, well, weeds. They continually spoil the beauty of my wild roses and my red brick pathways, giving me no respite from the backbreaking chore of pulling them up.

Many of us have decided to just give up the fight and refer to our weeds as wildflowers. Others have taken to calling them herbs, chopping and sautéing them with copious amounts of garlic and onions. Before you resort to this culinary tactic, I suggest having a copy of “The Handbook of Edible Weeds” by James A. Duke on hand.

I myself have sworn off weeding since my run in with Poison Ivy last summer. I’m reluctant to touch anything remotely weedy. I subtly ignore S. when he remarks the garden needs weeding. I know eventually he’ll tackle the problem without me since I suspect he still feels guilty about my ordeal.

The only weed I will gladly harvest and can readily identify is mint. Mint is wonderful and so useful. Add it to your lemonade, iced tea or just plain water for a refreshing summer thirst quencher. Innovative cooks can easily whip up tasty recipes for mint pesto and chutney. I made a mint pesto type thing that I spread on a sandwich type thing and it was delicious, but I would hesitate to call it a recipe.

Mint can make even the most loveless dish appear impressive. A few mint leaves added to a plate of nude pasta takes it from dreary to cheery without much effort. Your fruit salad will look positively gourmet with a few sprigs of mint on top.

Sprig is one of those words that good cooks like to throw around. Like a pinch of salt or a dash of vanilla. By casually remarking “I always put a few sprigs of mint on my fruit salad” you will sound like quite the clever cook.

As S. likes to tell me, never underestimate the power of a good condi-mint.